INF/TE/IDP/W/10  
 
11 August  2023 
(23-5490) Page: 1/4 
  Original: English  
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTIC POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY  
SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE ( DPP) 
FIRST  DRAFT – POSSIBLE MC13 STATEMENT  
The following communication, dated 11 August  2023, is being circulated at the request of the 
Dialogue  Coordinators .  
 
_______________  
 
 
We, the Ministers representing the following Members of the WTO  [  ], issue this statement : 
Preamble  
Recalling  that the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO recognizes the role of trade in 
achieving the objective of sustainable development and the need to protect and preserve the 
environment.  
Expressing  our deep concern about the triple planetary crisis of bi odiversity loss, pollution and 
climate change and their related natural disasters, and recogni zing that these challenges are 
inextricably interlinked and mutually reinforcing, and that they are driven largely by unsustainable 
patterns of consumption, produ ction and disposal and their related economic and health costs.  
Acknowledging the negative impact that plastic pollution has on the environment, including in the 
marine environment, on land, in the air, and in water, particularly in small and vulnerable ec onomies 
and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as well as on economies, including the blue economy, 
and on human health, while recognizing the role played by plastics in society.  
Recognizing  the transboundary nature of plastic pollution, plastic waste and plastics trade, making 
it crucial for members to cooperate and coordinate their efforts to address this global problem and 
its adverse and spill over impacts on the environment and human hea lth and acknowledging the 
growing urgent need to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, the need for coordinated action across 
policy areas and the need to constantly assess approaches consistent with evolution in science and 
knowledge.  
Calling  for an ambiti ous international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution to protect human 
health and the environment, pursuant to the UN Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 to end 
plastic pollution.  
Acknowledging  the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions a nd commending the successful 
adoption of the Plastic Technical Guidelines under the Basel Convention, fostering international 
cooperation and progress towards environmentally sound and safe plastic waste management.  
Highlighting  the importance of the rules -based multilateral trading system and of trade -related 
cooperation as a contribution to global efforts to end plastic pollution, including through the 
implementation of trade -related plastics measures across the life cycle of plastics, including by 
preven ting the leakage of plastic pollution, sharing of relevant data and information on the plastics 
economy, and promotion of safe and sustainable solutions, in particular those important for 
developing members.  INF/TE/IDP/W/10  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Acknowledging  the ongoing international, region al and domestic efforts to address plastic pollution 
and the contribution by many of these processes and relevant stakeholders to the Dialogue.  
Reaffirming  the Dialogue 's Ministerial Statement (WT/MIN(21)/8/Rev. [X]) issued on 10 December 
2021 which committ ed co -sponsors to work towards "concrete, pragmatic, and effective outcomes" 
on the trade -related aspects of plastics pollution in order to contribute to the global response to end 
plastic pollution on the areas of substantive focus further articulated by the Dialogue Plan 
(INF/TE/IDP/W/5): Cross -cutting issues, including capacity building and technical assistance, 
international cooperation, and transparency and data; Reduction to tackle plastic pollution; and 
Promotion of trade to tackle plastic pollution.  
Highlighting  the progress of the collective work of the Dialogue on Plastic Pollution since its launch, 
including:  
• The substantive technical work and discussions of the Dialogue, with the support of the 
expertise from delegations and relevant stakeholders, that has helped advance our collective 
knowledge of the intersection between trade, trade policies and plastic pol lution, under each 
of the workstreams of the Dialogue, and supported the production of several outputs from the 
Dialogue such as those reflected in Annex [X], incl uding information documents, factual 
summaries and reports, specialized Workshops, surveys an d communications.  
• The enhanced, close, and constructive cooperation with other international and regional efforts 
and institutions, such as with the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an 
international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine 
environment (INC), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Customs 
Organization (WCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 
the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventio ns, the Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Organization for 
Standardization (ISO), the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), the World 
Bank Group, the Latin American Integration A ssociation (ALADI), the Organisation for 
Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD) and a range of stakeholder organisations 
involved in the work of the Dialogue.  
We have accordingly reached the following shared understandings:  
 We will continue to coop erate on the basis of the following shared principles : 
• Focusing on trade -related aspects and actions that participating Members could take 
collectively and individually to support global efforts to end plastic pollution.  
• Deepening cooperation and collabora tion with other international organizations, 
secretariats and processes, ensuring complementarity and avoiding duplication, and 
ensuring that the work is informed by and supports the ongoing INC negotiations, and 
implementation of relevant Multilateral Env ironment Agreements, as well as relevant 
technical and scientific developments.  
• Addressing challenges facing WTO members, in particular developing members, LDCs and 
SIDS, in the trade related aspects of plastic pollution and sustainable development goals.  
• Emphasizing the role of multilateral trade cooperation including in promoting transparency 
and good practices.  
• Continued open, inclusive and transparent engagement with all WTO members and all 
relevant stakeholders.  
• Continuing our efforts in exploring the interlinkages of plastic pollution and trade in other 
areas.  INF/TE/IDP/W/10  
 
- 3 - 
 
   We agree to the following actions : 
• Improve transparency, monitoring and understanding of trade flows across the full life 
cycle of plastics, including flows of plastics embedded in or associated  with internationally 
traded goods, including through the actions listed in Annex [X].  
• Address trade -related capacity building and technical assistance needs of developing 
members, least developed members and SIDS, such as those listed in Annex [X], inclu ding 
through the implementation of Aid for Trade to address plastic pollution and to launch a 
mechanism to match funding opportunities with specific needs identified by developing 
members, particularly LDCs and SIDS, to implement trade -related policies and  measures 
to tackle plastic pollution.  
• Promote trade -related cooperation, including through implementing trade -related 
measures, such as those listed in Annex [X], to reduce unnecessary or harmful plastics 
and plastic products such as those listed in Annex  [X]. 
• Promote trade -related cooperation, including through implementing trade -related 
measures such as those listed in Annex [X], to address the environmental, social and 
health impacts and leakage associated with primary plastics, polymers, additives and 
plastics products.  
• Promote trade, including through implementing trade -related measures such as those 
listed in Annex [X], that contributes to ending plastic pollution and results in safe 
circularity, including trade in environmentally sustainable, safe, and effective non -plastic 
substitutes and environmentally sustainable, safe, and effective plastic alternatives and 
re-use, repair and re -fill systems such as those listed in Annex [X], with a focus on those 
of interest to WTO Members, in particular developing members, includ ing SIDS, and least 
developed members, and opportunities for their MSMEs.  
• Promote trade, including through implementing trade -related measures, such as those 
listed in Annex [X], of goods, services and technologies to tackle plastic pollution, including 
those necessary for environmentally sound and safe waste management and clean up, 
using the waste hierarchy, appropriate to local development circumstances and needs, 
and in line with Basel Convention Technical Guidelines on environmentally sound waste 
mana gement.  
• Promote  trade-related cooperation, including through implementing trade -related 
measures, such as those listed in Annex [X], to contribute to the control of cross -border 
movement of plastic pollution, including through, for example, effectively imp lementing 
the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments and its Plastic Technical Guidelines 
relevant to the management of plastic waste, fostering international cooperation and 
progress towards environmentally sound plastic waste management.  
We call attention to the annexes1 to this statement that reflect our collective and individual efforts 
so far to identify practices and options to implement trade -related measures and opportunities for 
cooperation to contribute to ending plastic pollution.  
We rec ognize the need to periodically update the annexes based on global, regional and domestic 
efforts, as well as on technical and scientific developments, and encourage efforts and commitments 
by a range of co -sponsors to foster and implement collective and i ndividual actions in this respect.  
 
1 The concrete and factual information regarding key aspects of our work is summarized in the following 
annexes: I) Trade -Related Transparency Efforts and Potential Actions Identified; II) Trade -Related Capacity 
Building and Technical Assistance Needs of Developing Members, Least Developed Members and Vulnerable 
Small Island Developing States (SIDS ) identified in Dialogue discussions; III) Products Most Often Addressed 
by Trade -Related Plastic Measures (TrPMs) and Identified in Dialogue Discussions; IV) TrPMs on Reduction and 
Other Approaches; V) Plastic Alternatives and Substitutes and Other Releva nt Goods, Services and 
Technologies Most Often Addressed by TrPMs and Identified in Dialogue Discussions; VI) Goods, Services and 
Technologies for Environmentally Sound Waste Management Most Often Addressed by TrPMs and identified in 
Dialogue discussions; VII) TrPMs on promotion and Other Approaches.  INF/TE/IDP/W/10  
 
- 4 - 
 
  We will continue to hold dedicated discussions with a view to identify best practices and share 
experiences regarding all topics identified in the Dialogue. We will work to develop a new Dialogue 
Plan in the months follow ing MC13. We will look for further concrete, pragmatic, and effective 
outcomes on these actions and understandings at the latest by MC14.  
 
__________